Monday, April 27, 2009

I have a confession to make. One that's rather embarrassing. In my nearly twenty four years on this Earth, it was only about one month ago that I tasted my first rhubarb. I can hear the silent hush falling across the room. . . knowing that this delicious vegetable is so incredible, I can imagine to any rhubarb lover out there this is quite the travesty. It is to me. . . now. So, I've been on a rhubarb kick. I quite seriously crave it, I believe this is because I have a lot of time to make up for. A good twenty something years in fact.

Seeing as I haven't made a cupcake in quite some time, on a bit of a whim, I decided to head to the local market and pick up a bushel of rhubarb and a pint of fresh strawberries to create an utterly fabulous cupcake. It came to me immediately, I knew what I wanted; a rhubarb strawberry cupcake, filled with a large scoop of tart, sweet rhubarb compote, topped with cream cheese frosting, finished off with oatmeal crumble 'sprinkles'. The result? Good. Not great. The cake was too dense for my liking. This may have had something to do with my method and not the cake itself. I got up that morning, played an hour and a half of tennis and then proceeded to stand in my kitchen with Thomas' sister and help her create 300+ ravioli for a camping trip this week. Needless to say, by the end of it I was a tad wobbly and off my kitchen game a bit. All I knew was that I wanted rhubarb, anything rhubarb would do. And for some reason I figured 'why not just whip up the cupcakes'? So, that's exactly what I did, sore feet be damned! Looking back, I should've just made the rhubarb compote, slathered it on top of some pistachio gelato that's been sitting patiently in my freezer, and called it good. But no, I made the cupcakes, baked sprinkles, whipped cream cheese frosting, and slow cooked compote. If you're up for it (I suggest not having spent the entire day in the kitchen already) I would suggest giving this recipe and all of it's components a go. If it's too dense for you too, then it's likely a flaw in the recipe, if not, it was a flaw on my (exhausted) part. If you only want to make one component let me suggest the rhubarb strawberry compote. On toast, ice cream, or spooned straight into the mouth, any way you eat it, it's out of this world (and stupidly simple).

1. Place rhubarb, sugar, strawberries and water into a small saucepan over low heat.2. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently until everything has broken down and you have a thick compote (about 20 minutes). 3. Place in small bowl and allow to cool.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 3. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and rhubarb compote; set aside.4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).5. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. 6. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.7. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. 8. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. 9. Add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, until just blended.9. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake 18-20 minutes. 10. Allow cupcakes to cool in tin before frosting.

1. Preheat oven to 3752. Place all ingredient in a bowl and mix well with hands, until mixture is crumbly 3. Sprinkle over a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring mixture occasionally to prevent excessive browning (you want golden brown, not chocolate brown)!

Keep in mind, I eyeball this, I don't have an actual recipe. So if you're mixture seems too wet, add more flour, not sweet enough more sugar. . . you get my drift!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

First off, I have to praise the weather here in the Northwest. It is gorgeous! Warm, sunny, blue skies with a gentle sweet spring breeze. As close to perfection as the weather can get.

We have a good pita place here in town. Their pitas are thin, light, soft and open seamlessly, perfect for any variety of fillings. Even better, they sell bags of ten for about $2. I promptly purchased a bag. Last night Thomas and I enjoyed pitas full of organic veggies and jarlsberg. Needless to say I wasn't pita satisfied. I wanted more pita today for lunch, however, I didn't want a repeat of dinner, but I did want to keep my lunch light. Scanning the contents of my refrigerator it came to me; Annie's light barbecue sauce, lowfat cheddar cheese, red onion, and rotisserie chicken. . . barbecue chicken pizza on top of a pita, slow roasted in the oven. My lunch was quick, easy, satisfying and extremely light and healthy. It was the perfect pairing to this gorgeous, sunny afternoon.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The best answer to any pageant question that is. Am I right or what? It's like the fall back to any pageant question. If you were president what would be your first order of business? World Peace. If you could change one thing about the world today what would it be? World Peace. What is your favorite color? World Peace.

So, here it is. My pageant beauty. She's 100% real baby. Jarlsberg, roasted butternut squash, garlic/chive mayo all sandwihced between two thick slices of rustic rosemary bread. I'm proud of her. Based on the way she tastes, there's no doubt she'd be in the top 5. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you must not know that April is national grilled cheese month (so get out there and grill your cheese!) but you also must not realize that there is such a thing as a grilled cheese pageant. I was thrilled when I stumbled upon this food blogging event. Ah-maz-ing! Truly a stroke of sandwich genius! All of my excitement is owed to Panini Happy. Beyond that, they're offering a prize to one random pageant participant, Tom Colicchio's new book "whichcraft: craft a sandwich into a meal and a meal into a sandwich".

I thoroughly enjoyed eating this incredible sandwich. It was a bit of a fluke honestly. I knew I wanted to use jarlsbery (primarily because I'd picked up over two pounds for less than $10, so I have a lot of it) and for the last week I thought I wanted to pair it with caramelized onion. Yet, this afternoon, I got inspired by some unknown sandwich god and really broke out of any normal panini box. The result? This truly incredible 'grilled cheese'. Truly different than any I've ever had, but yummy nonetheless.

1. Generously spread mayo on the inside of two slices of bread2. Place 5 slices of jarlsberg on each slice3. Sprinkle roasted squash over one piece4. Put both slices together, lightly smother the outside of your sandwich with plain mayo (yes, instead of butter, I love it, it tends to make the outside of your sandwich extra crispy and delicious) 5. Heat grill pan on low to medium heat and grill both sides for about 5 mintues, or until golden brown. 6. Viola! Sit down and enjoy! Preferably somewhere sunny and breezy.

Thanks again to Panini Happy for creating such an incredible challenge! It was a great excuse to eat a delicious (and different) grilled cheese sandwich for dinner!

I'm not a huge fan of pancakes. This might come as a shock to some of you, particularly those who know me. I'm a huge sweet fan, especially anything with 'cake' in the title, but pancakes, ick. I can't explain it really. There's nothing particularly revolting, that I could describe, about pancakes. It's not the texture, or the flavor. I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe it was because I grew up on 'Norwegian Pancakes', which is basically a sweeter version of crepes. Very different from the thick, rich, spongey pancakes that are so popular here in the states. I always like the thought of pancakes, but am generally disappointed when I sit down to the breakfast table to eat them. To me, cartoon pancakes are the most appealing of all. I believe the Simpsons have tried converting my brain once or twice, those tall, golden, perfectly round, syrup covered cartoon cakes are oh so delicious looking. But they never taste they way they look on the Simpsons. Maybe I'm weird? No, I'm definitely weird. This I know. I love waffles but generally despise pancakes.

However, this recipe (and the lemon souffle pancakes) are the closest I've come to being a pancake convert. The fresh berries paired with the vanilla bean and the white chocolate chips create a perfect (don't get me wrong, quite rich) batter and cake. I only had one (I'm usually lucky if I can choke down half) and that was primarily due to the richness. Even if you don't put the chips in, I highly suggest next time you make pancakes, put the fruit in, not on top of them. Quite yummy, even to a girl who generally dislikes pancakes. This is a great spring/summer/celebration recipe too. . . mothers day perhaps?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I don't have enough recipes that include kale. It's one of those veggies I'm not extremely familiar with. It's not that I don't love kale, but to me it's this odd salad like veggie that doesn't have many applications. I have the same veggie curiosity with chard. I'm seeking more chard recipes, specifically rainbow, so send them my way if you have any!

I really liked this recipe. It's incredibly simple, especially if you have some leftover rice (takeout etc). Not that rice is difficult to make, all you need is some rice, water a rice cooker and 15 minutes. And for this recipe, a few bunches of fresh kale, one sweet onion, and a few cups of veggie stock. Not only is it super simple, it's ridiculously affordable and deliciously healthy. It is one of those recipes you can walk away from for 15 minutes while it reduces covered on the stovetop, which is the perfect amount of time to catch up on a few emails or watch the last half of the Simpsons. Great, right?!

I couldn't offer you a better recipe if I made and delivered it myself. Give this one a try, I bet you'll love it. It's fresh, a tad creamy and rich, but so easy on your waistline and your budget. Plus, if you want more protein add slices of grilled chicken breast or thinly sliced kalbi beef strips. You simply can't go wrong with this recipe. . .

Sunday, April 12, 2009

I really wanted to get an Easter post up earlier, but I've been out at the property and their internet here is incredibly slow, frustratingly so. I actually held the computer over my head to get the photos to transfer from uploadr to flickr. argh! the frustrations of being somewhere that isn't home, am I right?

We kept it simple. I'm not huge on Easter, it's never a big holiday for me. I don't ever do much. I think the weather really inspired me though. For nearly a week we had incredibly gorgeous, sunny weather here in the Northwest. I took advantage of it and headed down to my favorite nursery with one of my favorite friends. While there I found a fun little food item, a dried ear of corn which you put in the microwave to make popcorn with; corn that pops off the cob. The boyfriend loves popcorn. It was upon the discovery of this novelty item that I realized I had to do at least one basket this year. So, he got a basket filled with popcorn related items, alongside the ear of corn I added a thick bar of dark chocolate laden with caramel corn, a hippo chip clip and a few other tiny items. The easter bunny was good to him this year.

Last night I had a couple of girlfriends over for some easter egg dying fun. I do enjoy that. I still make silly, brightly colored eggs with funky patterns drawn on them. I'm not clever enough to create anything incredible like Ms. Martha Stewart. No decoupaged eggs in my kitchen, as much as I wish I'd had enough forethought this year to plan something uber fantastic and mind blowing in the egg decorating department, I reverted back to my childhood standard of PAAS tablets.

I served the girls a puff pastry gruyere asparagus tart, and a carrot vichyssoise. I may not have followed in Marthas egg decorating footsteps, but I can thank her for those incredible recipes. Very simple, chic and spring. Not to mention, delicious. I tripled each recipe because this morning I handed out baskets filled to the brim with jars of soup, parchment wrapped asparagus tart, a bushel of daffodils and a handful of cookie 'nests'. Needless to say, the recipients were thrilled.

So, enjoy the pictures for now. Tomorrow I will post links to the recipes for the tart, soup, and cookies!

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

First of all, let me welcome you to the shiny new and improved blog layout. What do you think? I hope you like it. I absolutely love it. When Sharnee over at Acorn Glue and I began the process of creating a new blog template I had very little idea what I wanted. I thought something two toned, feminine and scripty. What we ended up with was something in a completely different color palate, with a totally different look. Yet, I love it. Seriously, I can't stop visiting the site just to look at it. And while I'm still working on some kinks (centering photos on past posts for one example) I wanted it up for all to enjoy.

I've been participating in a weekly 'get healthy' group. A few women who meet up to focus on how to balance a busy and stressful life with making better choices with food and exercise. I've never been a part of anything like it, and the support is great. It's motivating to know that every week not only do you have people to reminisce with but are also accountable to. Because of that, I've been trying to recreate some of my favorite comfort foods into healthier versions. One of my favorites is chicken pot pie. I don't make a traditional pot pie either, it's laden with cream, white wine, and gruyere and topped with a fat slab of puff pastry. Clearly, not the healthiest of dishes. I wanted to create a dinner that was incredibly satisfying but much healthier. So I caramelized leeks, and brussel sprouts and created a creamy filling with a splash of fat free 1/2 and 1/2 as well as a sprinkle of Pecorino. Instead of using puff pastry I topped my lightened up version with a mash of yukon golds and cauliflower. These rich flavors, while used sparingly, easily tricked my tastebuds into thinking I was eating something with lots of rich, buttery depth.

If another cold, blustery or rainy day is headed your way in the coming weeks as winter disappears and spring blossoms in full force, I suggest you hunker down and give not only your soul, but your body a healthy and delicious treat.

1. Place onions in skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook until translucent, add carrots, then add a splash of salt and pepper and reduce heat to low and caramelize for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, perheat the oven to 400 oF and place brussel sprouts in a shallow, prepared baking dish. Roast for 30 minutes until slightly golden.

3. Add stock to onion and carrot mixture, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

4. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, add cauliflower, boil an additional 5-10 minutes. Drain, mash up with a pad of butter and season. Set aside.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Hello ladies and gents! I hosted an extremely successful dinner on Saturday night for our cooking club. We've had a few, more, new additions. . . both girls got creative and brought delicious dishes. Not only that, I think we had some great conversation and sincere laughter between us. I couldn't have wished for more, I truly believe that this group may become an amazing thing, although it's taken nearly a year to get to that place. Everything in life takes work doesn't it? Rarely things are perfect on the first try.

To get a sense of the new girls cooking style, and taste, we went with the theme 'last meal'. So, we drew dishes as usual, and based on that dish we each created what we'd want as our last meal. I know, I know, if you're anything like me that task may seem nearly impossible, but seeing as it was theoretical, all the girls had to do was, essentially, pick one of their favorite dishes or ingredients. Since I only knew two of the girls, I really had no idea what kind of meal we were going to sit down to. I figured, because the theme was pretty much a free for all (no specific cuisine or genre) I had a feeling it wouldn't necessarily be a cohesive flavor combo, dish by dish. I was surprised that it pretty much was. The menu featured crab cakes (pictured above) with a mango salsa and a coconut cream sauce, potato pancakes, roasted beets with chevre, roasted squash mac and cheese, and a tower of hazelnut chocolate puff pastry and vanilla bean cheesecake with a scoop of vegan vanilla/coconut ice cream.

The dinner took place during Earth Hour, which was something I'd planned on participating in. So I decorated the kitchen, and set the table, with the Earth (and our dinner) in mind. Plenty of candles and orbs, and eco-friendly decor.

We had an incredible dinner with our wonderful new additions, and I simply cannot (seriously) wait for our brunch in April!

I wrote about this macaroni and cheese recipe a few weeks ago, and can be found here. It's rich, creamy and the roasted butternut squash offers a hint of sweetness. Oh-so yummy!

For dessert we were presented with a yummy puff pastry (dipped in hazlenut chocolate) and vanilla bean cheesecake tower. Also served with our dessert was a rich cocktail of drinking chocolate and grand marnier. No recipe for this one, she simply used some of her favorite recipes to concoct this dish.